<strong>SHOBAL</strong> (shō'băl, Heb. <em>shôvāl</em>)<br /><br />

One of the sons of Seir the Horite, a very early inhabitant of what was later Edom (<bibleref ref="Gen.36.20">Gen.36.20</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="Gen.36.23">Gen.36.23</bibleref>). These Horites, or Hurrians, were expelled and destroyed by the Edomites, descendants of Esau (<bibleref ref="Deut.2.12">Deut.2.12</bibleref>). Shobal is listed as one of the chiefs of the Horites (<bibleref ref="Gen.36.29">Gen.36.29</bibleref>).An early Ephrathite of the sons of Caleb (not the spy), an ancestor or founder of <span class="auto-link">[[Kiriath Jearim]]</span> (<bibleref ref="1Chr.2.50">1Chr.2.50</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="1Chr.2.52">1Chr.2.52</bibleref>).A grandson of Judah and father of Reaiah (<bibleref ref="1Chr.4.1-1Chr.4.2">1Chr.4.1-1Chr.4.2</bibleref>).

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<strong>SHOBAL</strong> <strong>shō’ bəl</strong> (<span class="hebrew">שׁוֹבָ֖ל</span>). 1. A “son” of Seir the Horite, and a clan chief of the native Horite inhabitants of Edom (<bibleref ref="Gen.36.20">Gen 36:20</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="Gen.36.23">23</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="Gen.36.29">29</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.1.38">1 Chron 1:38</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="1Chr.1.40">40</bibleref>).<br /><br />

2. Ancestor of a Calebite family in the tribe of Judah, and the ancestor of the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim (<bibleref ref="1Chr.2.50">1 Chron 2:50</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="1Chr.2.52">52</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.4.1">4:1</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="1Chr.4.2">2</bibleref>). The name may be connected with 1.

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

(shobhal, "overflowing"; Sobal, with variants):<br /><br />

(1) An Edomite name mentioned in connection with Lotan, Zibeon and Anah, as that of a "son" of Seir (<bibleref ref="Gen.36.20">Ge 36:20</bibleref>), the father of a clan (<bibleref ref="Gen.36.23">Ge 36:23</bibleref>), and a Horite "duke" (’alluph) (<bibleref ref="Gen.36.29">Ge 36:29</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.1.38">1Ch 1:38</bibleref>,<bibleref ref="1Chr.1.40">40</bibleref>).

(2) A Calebite, the father (possibly of the inhabitants) of Kiriath-jearim (<bibleref ref="1Chr.2.50">1Ch 2:50</bibleref>,<bibleref ref="1Chr.2.52">52</bibleref>).

(3) A Judahite, perhaps to be identified with (2) above (<bibleref ref="1Chr.4.1-1Chr.4.43">1Ch 4:1 f</bibleref>).